- Introduction: Birthday Trip To The Maldives
- Booking Emirates Skywards One-Way Awards With Stopovers
- Review: Air France-KLM Lounge Washington Dulles Airport (IAD)
- Review: New Emirates Boeing 777 First Class (IAD-DXB)
- Review: Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre
- Review: Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai Airport (DXB)
- A Lovely Emirates First Class Flight To The Maldives
- Review: Cheval Blanc Maldives Randheli
- Review: Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
- Review: Four Seasons Maldives Landaa Giraavaru
- Oops: I Missed My Flight, Almost Got Denied Entry To Qatar
- Review: Qatar Airways Boeing 777 First Class (MLE-DOH)
- PSA: Don’t Wait At The Wrong Baggage Claim Belt
- Review: Park Hyatt Doha, Qatar
- Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha (DOH)
- Review: Sleep ‘N Fly Sleep Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Qsuites Business Class 777 (DOH-DFW)
To return to the United States we flew Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-200LR Qsuites business class from Doha to Dallas. While the flight only departed at 1:40AM, we ended up heading to Hamad International Airport at around 4PM (when we had to check out of the Park Hyatt Doha), giving us plenty of time in Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Business Lounge.
In this post I wanted to take review Qatar Airways’ flagship business class lounge. The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge is spectacular, in terms of the design, amenities, food, and drinks. For most hours of the day the lounge is an oasis of calm, though there are some periods where this lounge gets slammed with passengers. So let’s take a closer look at the lounge.
In this post:
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business check-in Doha
A vast majority of passengers at Hamad International Airport are connecting rather than originating or terminating their travel in Qatar, so the check-in area is something that most passengers never see. When you pull up to the airport, there are dedicated first & business class check-in areas. There are porters outside willing to help with bags.
The check-in area of the terminal is quite grand, and never really crowded.
Inside the entrance to the terminal is the Al Mourjan Business check-in to the left, and the Al Safwa First check-in to the right.
The check-in area is pretty nice, with partitions between each check-in counter, plus couches where you can hang out if you want.
The employee checking us in was really friendly, but also really slow. For reasons I can’t quite figure out, the check-in process took around 20 minutes. And it’s not that she wasn’t doing anything, but rather she was doing a lot of typing. I don’t know if the system is just really inefficient, or what.
Soon enough we were issued our boarding passes, and headed straight for security and immigration. Fortunately that took about five minutes combined, as there were also dedicated premium channels.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha location
The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge is located airside (past security). Hamad International Airport only has one terminal, and the centerpiece of the terminal is the $6.8 million, 23-foot teddy bear. When you’re facing the teddy bear, turn left in the direction of the A gates.
Once you turn left and are underneath the big screen, you should see signage pointing to the Al Mourjan Lounge.
There’s an escalator right there, and then you’ll be admitted to the lounge at the base of the escalator, by the Qatar Airway staff member stationed there. While there’s a reception desk at the top of the escalator, that’s intended more for customer service.
The Al Mourjan Lounge is two levels above the main area of the terminal.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha hours & crowding
The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge never closes, as it’s open 24/7, reflecting that Qatar Airways has flights all hours of the day and night.
I think it’s worth mentioning that Doha is a heavily banked hub, which is to say that there are typically huge banks of flights that arrive around the same time, and then a huge bank of flights that leave one to two hours later. This is intended to minimize travel time for passengers, and maximize aircraft utilization.
For 18+ hours per day, the Al Mourjan Lounge is incredibly calm, peaceful, and empty. But then there are a few periods where it really fills up. In general you can expect that the lounge will be busiest from roughly:
- 5:30PM until 7:30PM
- 11PM until 1AM
- 5:30AM until 7:30AM
This of course presents an issue with judging a lounge. Admittedly most passengers are visiting the lounge over those limited hours, and during that time there may very well be a wait for the shower, wait for the dining area, and in general the lounge won’t feel that calming.
Meanwhile for the rest of the day, this lounge is a haven of loveliness. So this is just something to keep in mind if visiting the lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha entry requirements
The Al Mourjan Business Lounge is open to Qatar Airways and other oneworld business class passengers. There are some things to be aware of, though:
- The Al Mourjan Lounge isn’t open to oneworld elite members (including oneworld Emerald members), but rather they’re directed to inferior lounges intended specifically for elite members
- The Al Mourjan Lounge isn’t available to Qatar Airways business class passengers traveling on “Lite” fares, which is Qatar Airways’ “basic” business class offering (so you need to be traveling on an Elite, Comfort, or Classic ticket — note that award tickets are eligible for lounge access, regardless of which airline they’re issued by)
Note that Qatar Airways economy class passengers, as well as Qatar Airways business class “Lite” passengers, can potentially purchase access to the Al Mourjan Lounge. This can be done when logging into your reservation online or at check-in. I believe the cost is generally 350 QAR (~$96) per person, though I can’t guarantee that will consistently be the price.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha layout & seating
Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Lounge is one of the largest airport lounges in the world, as it’s ~10,000 square meters (~110,000 square feet). It’s quite striking architecturally, between the really high ceilings and the open layout, which means you can appreciate the spaciousness of the lounge no matter where you are.
There’s one main room in the lounge, which has most of the seating. There are truly endless seating options, and I’ll let the pictures of the seating speak mostly for themselves.
At the far end of the lounge is a water feature, which is pretty cool-looking. This is also near the staircase that leads up to the dining section.
Over near the business center there’s another seating area that’s in a separate room, which has a bit more natural light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha food & drinks
The Al Mourjan Lounge has an impressive food & drink selection. The main dining area is on the second level of the lounge, which can be accessed via the staircase or elevators.
The restaurant area has plenty of tables, most of which seat two people. If you have the option, I’d recommend grabbing one of the tables overlooking the first level of the lounge, as those leather seats are much more comfortable, and are also a bit more secluded.
As far as the food goes, there’s both a buffet, as well as an a la carte selection. You can find the Al Mourjan Business Lounge food & drink menu here. Drinks are served to tables from the bar, and there’s an extensive selection of wine, beer, and cocktails.
In terms of food, there are salads, sushi, several individually plated appetizers, and quite a few hot options as well. There’s even a dessert buffet, with some pretty delicious options.
We decided to order a couple of things from the menu, including the gobi saag masala and chicken biryani.
We also picked a couple of desserts from the buffet, and then I ordered an americano.
The food was excellent for a business class lounge, and since we dined during an off-peak time, service was attentive, and the restaurant overall had a pleasant atmosphere.
The Al Mourjan Business Lounge has a second dining area, which specializes in salads and sandwiches. This is located on the main level of the lounge, so if you enter the lounge just turn left and walk to the very end. This area of the lounge has both individual tables as well as communal tables, depending on your preference.
This area has a small buffet with some drinks and light appetizers.
In addition to that, there’s a menu with sandwiches, salads, and desserts.
In addition to the two main dining areas, there are also a variety of drink stations throughout the lounge, which have water, soft drinks, and coffee. That’s fine if you just want to hydrate, but if you want anything else you’ll want to check out one of the dining areas.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha nap rooms
Those with long layovers may appreciate the opportunity to get some rest during their layover, so the Al Mourjan Lounge has a couple of options for that. For one, the lounge has a dedicated rest area, which is located in the very back of the lounge, past the cafe dining area. You have to specifically know what you’re looking for, or else you’d probably never stumble on it (which is good in terms of managing demand for this).
Essentially you can reserve what looks like a semi-private living room, with a couch and a chair with an ottoman. Each space has plenty of room to stretch out and relax, and there’s a TV with a flight status monitor.
Note that this is a silent zone, and that’s strictly enforced. So don’t come here thinking you can make a phone call or watch something without headphones (okay, you shouldn’t watch something without headphones anywhere in a lounge, but that doesn’t stop people).
To take it a step further, this area is eerily quiet. Personally I’d almost prefer that they play some spa-type relaxing music, as you could hear a pin drop in this area. Or more realistically, you can hear other people snoring. So if you are going to relax here, I’d recommend bringing headphones.
If you have a long layover, it’s possible to get one of these rooms for up to six hours, and they’re available on a first come, first served basis.
In addition to the main nap rooms, there’s another area with semi-private pods inside the entrance to the lounge and to the right. There are dozens of these, and there’s no need to reserve them or talk to anyone — you can just plop down on one of them. There also aren’t any restrictions when it comes to noise in this area, for better or worse.
If you want to nap with a bit more privacy, there’s a Sleep ‘N Fly in the terminal, which accepts Priority Pass. I’ll be reviewing that in the next installment.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha showers & restrooms
The Al Mourjan Lounge has shower rooms, which are also available on a first come, first served basis. Most of the day they should be readily available, while during peak hours there’s often a wait to use these.
The shower rooms as such are pretty nice, with a separate sink, toilet, and walk-in shower.
There are also Diptyque amenities, which are about as high end as they get.
The major catch is that there’s almost no air circulation in these rooms, so when you shower the suites basically turn into a sauna, even after the water is off. So I’d recommend taking a quick and not too hot shower.
In addition to the shower rooms, there are also several bathrooms throughout the lounge. These are very well maintained, as there’s typically an attendant cleaning up after everyone.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha business center
The Al Mourjan Lounge has a legitimate business center, more than you’ll find in just about any other lounge. This has everything from printers, to workstations, to conference rooms, to PCs. It almost feels like a legitimate office or coworking space.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha game & kids rooms
The Al Mourjan Lounge has a few different rooms for kids, teens, and even gaming. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, as I didn’t use these.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha smoking room
If you’re a smoker, the Al Mourjan Lounge has a dedicated smoking room. While not as luxurious the cigar bar in the Emirates First Lounge Dubai, this should help any smoker get their fix between flights.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha lockers
The Al Mourjan Lounge has lockers, which are inside the entrance to the lounge and to the right. You can store your luggage here, though there’s someone on staff to record your flight information, etc., presumably for security reasons, and so that stuff isn’t left behind.
We found the luggage storage to be useful, since it makes it easier to freely roam around the lounge. Furthermore, given how much time we had at the airport, we decided to spend some time walking around the terminal, and it was nicer to do that without luggage.
Bottom line
The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge is excellent, and easily one of the best major business class lounges out there. The lounge has beautiful architecture, good food and drinks, nap rooms, shower rooms, a business center, and much more.
This lounge is simply on a different level when it’s empty, which is most of the day. There’s no denying that the lounge’s vibe changes when it fills up, though, during one of the three main daily flight “banks.”
If you’ve visited the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge, what was your experience like?
Big fan of qatar lounges. Visited both al mourjan and al safwa first lounges. Mind blown. Thanks for such detailed reviews!
Question regarding lounge access. I am arriving at 1 pm on a Qatar business class flt, departing business class on Etihad at 3 am. Booked with AA FF miles. Will I be able to use this lounge? If no, does anyone know which lounge in DOH I can use? Thank you.
Thanks for this super thorough and helpful post. I'm going to be here in a week on my 15-hour layover to Male. I was wondering if you can enter, leave, and re-enter if you have access to this lounge? Given the duration of my layover, I wanted to be able to come and leave but I wasn't sure if it was a single entry only. Does anyone know? Thanks.
Sounds like you can. From close to the end of the review, "We found the luggage storage to be useful, since it makes it easier to freely roam around the lounge. Furthermore, given how much time we had at the airport, we decided to spend some time walking around the terminal, and it was nicer to do that without luggage."
That's good to know. We will be doing the same in early June, although our layover to Male isn't quite so long as yours.
Hi Ben when I last flew Doha to Melbourne in September 2019 I went to the service desk for an upgrade to first as we were on the A380. We were able to purchase an upgrade for $950 per person .There is a separate service desk to purchase them near the escalator to the first class lounge. Sadly the upgrade does not get you into the lounge.
Do you or other readers know if this upgrade desk is still operating or have they not brought ack the A380s int service?
Can anyone advise whether US credit cards (Amex or Mastercard) are accepted at the Doha Business Lounge? I am there between flights (on my way to and from Khartoum) and the group with which I will be traveling has advised that no US credit cards are accepted in Sudan. Wondering if that is true of Qatar as well, since when I booked my flight, I was told that to use my credit card to pay...
Can anyone advise whether US credit cards (Amex or Mastercard) are accepted at the Doha Business Lounge? I am there between flights (on my way to and from Khartoum) and the group with which I will be traveling has advised that no US credit cards are accepted in Sudan. Wondering if that is true of Qatar as well, since when I booked my flight, I was told that to use my credit card to pay for the tickets, I could only do it online. Many thanks if you can help me out on this possibly dumb question.
U.S. Credit Cards are widely accepted in Qatar.
Ben, thanks for the detail. I am not a world traveler as many of the respondents, but I found this very informative.
I'm a big fan of this lounge, but I understand why others may not be. I love the spaciousness, which means that even when it's packed I didn't feel like people were in my face. The a la carte food was good, but I understand that the buffets can be bettered by other airlines. And its' too huge to move around quickly, so it can feel impersonal and cold. Plus if you have mobility issues,...
I'm a big fan of this lounge, but I understand why others may not be. I love the spaciousness, which means that even when it's packed I didn't feel like people were in my face. The a la carte food was good, but I understand that the buffets can be bettered by other airlines. And its' too huge to move around quickly, so it can feel impersonal and cold. Plus if you have mobility issues, 110K feet is too much.
The showers, especially the "secret" ones, are great if you can get them. And the lockers are big enough for huge bags.
I'm booked for Qsuites next January and I'm looking forward to a quick visit to Al Mourjan again.
Lucky was correct about the shower rooms. They are very nice with great Diptyque toiletries but the room gets like a sauna. Be aware!! I made the mistake of taking a very long and hot shower and it literally took me about an hour to finally cool down afterwards. There is absolutely no ventilation in these rooms. Otherwise, a great experience!
During the height of the pandemic, access to the Al Mourjan lounge was also extended to Oneworld elites in economy. I flew through Doha in November 2021 (r/t) to MLE and had access with my partner on each long (8 hour) layover. All of the Oneworld lounges were closed at that time or operating a very limited capacity. Unless they are back to having fully opened one world partner lounges, non-business class One World Emeralds...
During the height of the pandemic, access to the Al Mourjan lounge was also extended to Oneworld elites in economy. I flew through Doha in November 2021 (r/t) to MLE and had access with my partner on each long (8 hour) layover. All of the Oneworld lounges were closed at that time or operating a very limited capacity. Unless they are back to having fully opened one world partner lounges, non-business class One World Emeralds and possibly Sapphires would still have access.
I visited the lounge in March 2022 and they still allowed access for Oneworld Elites (including Emerald and Sapphire members) into the Al Mourjan lounge, and they were permitted one guest as well.
When I was there, there was a significant wait in line to even get to a staff member who was putting people on the waiting list for a shower. Long wait. Average food. No menus. You had to use a QR code to read it on your phone, which meant you had to mess about with setting up their wifi to be able to read a menu. Just annoying.
Been there several times but I never actually did anything there other than taking a shower mostly because my connection times were pretty short. I love their showers though I agree that they do get pretty hot and humid. Anyway, Last May 5, I was lucky to get a 6-hour layover so I was able to spend some time in the lounge and enjoy the other facilities. The queue to the main dining area was...
Been there several times but I never actually did anything there other than taking a shower mostly because my connection times were pretty short. I love their showers though I agree that they do get pretty hot and humid. Anyway, Last May 5, I was lucky to get a 6-hour layover so I was able to spend some time in the lounge and enjoy the other facilities. The queue to the main dining area was very long during breakfast. I managed to get a slot after about half an hour. The quality of food is somewhat in the middle. The service is very slow due to the crowd.
Regarding entry to the lounge, a friend who is traveling with me has Gold status but on economy, wasn't allowed entry but was directed to their other lounge for Silver/Gold status. They told him that only first/business class passengers on Qatar Airways/Oneworld airlines were allowed.
I miss the days where KRUG champagne was served in the business class lounge.
Krug is expensive, but not particularly good.
We all have our own tastes and preferences on wine, but the view that Krug is “not particularly good,” even at its price point, is very much a minority opinion. Now, most vintages of Dom Perignon? I completely agree. :)
Ben, what are you hearing about the lounge situation when they open the new gates at the end of the C concourse? This airport badly needs the additional lounge space!
Am I the only person who thinks that many of the seating options look incredibly uncomfortable?
They may look uncomfortable but they are not. I have to agree with Ben that this is one of the best airline lounges anywhere.
Probably one of the best in the World, agree
They definitely are not uncomfortable
From my experience, when the lounge tends to be empty the staff take full advantage of this by relaxing to the point of providing almost no service.
The food options also shrink dramatically as catering transitions from one meal service to the next.
I snagged a nap pod (easy, there are plenty of them) to re-group and get some quiet rest. Unfortunately there was almost nonstop jackhammering going on somewhere nearby which ruled...
From my experience, when the lounge tends to be empty the staff take full advantage of this by relaxing to the point of providing almost no service.
The food options also shrink dramatically as catering transitions from one meal service to the next.
I snagged a nap pod (easy, there are plenty of them) to re-group and get some quiet rest. Unfortunately there was almost nonstop jackhammering going on somewhere nearby which ruled out any quality naptime! I guess at a 24/7 airport there in never any ideal or quiet times to undertake construction works.
Lastly, if you are looking for any specific location you will need to ask for specific instructions to find it from any likey staff member. They are not proactive in advising the lounge's features.
The lounge (as with Qatar generally) is staffed by contract workers from third-world countries who are frequently 'new', and not knowledgble beyond their immediate job.
Hmm. Thanks for all the bubble busting comments! I was excited about my 8 h layover, hoping for a stellar experience in the lounge. Does anyone use the pool at DOH? Might be a good option if it’s worthwhile.
LOL! You would provide quite a spectacle floundering around in a shallow water feature I expect, Ella! Definately a no-no!
I’m talking about the pool in the spa in DOH. Obviously, I was asking for someone who knows the pool.
Have you thought about popping into Doha or is it the middle of the night?
I second Richard's note that food is rather mediocre - it is essentially an attempt to prepare something resembling restaurant quality but using cafeteria facilities. Alcohol is fine and individually packages dates are great. Regarding food, I would prefer AA Miami Flagship over Al Mourjian. Yes, Al Mourjian is a huge space but the seating areas are not great and the pool of water in the middle makes it difficult to walk across the lounge.
I'll second this: Big but very mediocre. However I agree with Ben that outside rush hours it's a little more palatable.
looks amazing. I’ve never been. Qn? Why do people rave about the Polaris lounge in Ohare when you see this?
Because people generally have realistic expectations. No way that any US airline could spend this kind of budget (nor have 100,000+ square feet to work with at any airport) to build a lounge like this. Polaris is a solid lounge. It does the job, but is it over-the-top luxurious? No. Does it need to be to be good? No.
There's also the fact that NA and Europe generally doesn't have access to the low-cost (some might argue near slave labor) the ME and Asia has access to.
The labor in the ME is many things, but they are paid extremely well
Excellent lounge, excellent food and everything is honestly excellent. But I couldn't get to shower, the que was long. And I didn't know about baggage lockers which is an excellent idea. I could have stored my carry on when I took a bus tour of Doha. If I could afford it I would never fly any airline other than Qatar business class. I never thought you could fly 15 hours straight without getting tired until...
Excellent lounge, excellent food and everything is honestly excellent. But I couldn't get to shower, the que was long. And I didn't know about baggage lockers which is an excellent idea. I could have stored my carry on when I took a bus tour of Doha. If I could afford it I would never fly any airline other than Qatar business class. I never thought you could fly 15 hours straight without getting tired until when I flew Qatar business class. Even economy class I prefer Qatar than any airline anyways.
My wife put her feet up on one of those big round ottomans (socks, not shoes) and was promptly told to remove them as that wasn't what they were meant for. What then? The food was nothing special, especially when compared to what the serve in the air.
Actually, while the menu is impressive (less so for the last 3 years), the food, although well presented, is not very good. It all depends on what you expect. I have often had better dishes on other OW members. The baiscs, cheese plates, mezze etc... are usually good but the main courses all taste the same. The wines, on the other hand, ar exceptional in variety and quality.
@Lucky, a huge fan of yours, so apologies for a correction and adding some info…
…for context, I literally was just in the lounge for 6.5 hours overnight last night, and transit the lounge several times a year.
The lounge has always been available to oneworld elite, no matter what cabin or member airline you’re flying, so the info stated is incorrect. I’m Emerald, and last night was flying on an American FF economy redemption...
@Lucky, a huge fan of yours, so apologies for a correction and adding some info…
…for context, I literally was just in the lounge for 6.5 hours overnight last night, and transit the lounge several times a year.
The lounge has always been available to oneworld elite, no matter what cabin or member airline you’re flying, so the info stated is incorrect. I’m Emerald, and last night was flying on an American FF economy redemption ticket; boarding passes issued by BA in South Africa, JNB-DOH on Qatar, onward connections on Royal Air Jordanian. All oneworld airlines print your status on the boarding cards…and it has never been an issue, not a single bat of the eye or question to enter. Though mostly fly in business class, have also flown economy it’s never been an issue at all…and the oneworld website verifies that you can enter the lounge with your status no matter which member airline you’re flying.
To clarify for readers, there are 4 shower areas in the lounge. Male & Female in the main central hall, but also additional male & female areas in the sleep lounge area, which are very tucked away and therefore much more likely to be available during peak connection hours without any waitlist.
I disagree about the food. The tapas style eats in both sections you mention are very mediocre to me. The buffet in the main 2nd floor dining is also mediocre. Items from the a la carte menu are a toss up, with breakfast a la carte generally being better. Don’t waste your time on the sushi…it’s grocery store quality, if that.
In the main 2nd floor restaurant, there’s also a dining area which almost no one discovers or uses. It’s back at the end of the walkway to the bathrooms, and behind glass doors. The glass doors seem to inhibit everyone, and in all of my visits, last night was the first time I poked my head in and asked who could use it. Turns out that everyone can use it, has the same a la carte menu as the restaurant, and is super quiet and spacious. Overall my favorite seating are the large seats by the windows overlooking the tarmac, as the wings at the head level provide a sense of privacy.
I arrived at the 11pm rush hour, and there was a crowd waiting at the stairs to be allowed to go up to the 2nd floor restaurant. That turned out to be a great thing for me, as my departure wasn’t until the morning, so I immediately went to grab an unused rest “salon” (whatever they’re called) not in the official rest area, but across from it in the family area (walk past the playrooms). They are the exact same, and both are open to anyone…but, once again, the lounge is so massive that most don’t know the family units even exist. During the time I was in there, most of the 6 or 9 units were unused, even though the rest of he lounge was crammed between the 11pm to 130am connecting bank. By the time I woke up from a nap at 3am the entire lounge was almost empty (the next wave arrives about 530), so I enjoyed all the facilities and more than a bit of champagne almost by myself.
About those shower lounges, they are definitely lacking air circulation. It’s like being in a sauna…but my newest trick is to use hot water only in the first few minutes, and then wind down the temperature as quickly as possible to avoid the hot and sticky humid air from building up. They also don’t proactively offer additional supplies like tooth brushes, razors, hair dryers, etc, but they are all available on request. In a silly oversight, IMO, the lack of some basics like kleenex seems amateur to me.
My two cents from last night, and previous visits.
Happy travels.
Great tips, thank you!
Second the entry reqs comment above. Just there in Dec en route to Cairo and they let me bring in one my parents (who was flying in economy) as a guest “per emerald elite rules.” I think the rules changed sometime during Covid but haven’t seemingly changed back with the sapphire and emerald lounges closed.
Thanks for the details!!
what was the champagne? The link to the menu doesnt work in the article.
QR has since covid allowed OWE to enter Al Mourjan as the status lounges were closed. OWS were even allowed until the new status lounge opened and there is another in the works for OWE so this courtesy is going to lapse eventually.
Odd. I’ve always used the Al Mourjan lounge with my Emerald status even before the pandemic, since when it originally opened.
The only lounge that is super strict is the Al Safwa, which is strictly for First passengers on day travel, and oneworld status alone doesn’t gain entry. From what I’ve read, that lounge does look superb. You can pay to enter the Al Safwa for about US$250 per person.
There’s a different First lounge,...
Odd. I’ve always used the Al Mourjan lounge with my Emerald status even before the pandemic, since when it originally opened.
The only lounge that is super strict is the Al Safwa, which is strictly for First passengers on day travel, and oneworld status alone doesn’t gain entry. From what I’ve read, that lounge does look superb. You can pay to enter the Al Safwa for about US$250 per person.
There’s a different First lounge, I think for non oneworld airlines, but I don’t remember the name of it, but it’s a bit pathetic in size and services.
If you have oneworld high elite status, then you can gain entry to the Al Mourjan lounge (described in this article) which is much much better.
Lucky you. I am One World Emerald member, normally fly business on Qatar but the twice, when I flew pre pandemic in economy, I was denied entry. I had to use the lounge for One World members, which is nowhere near as good.
This is easily the most over-rated lounge in the world. The food is simply bad. If this is good food to you, then I at once pity and perhaps envy your tastebuds. Any of the premier oneworld lounges is better (NRT, HND, JFK, MAD, HKG, HEL, and yes...even BA in LHR since they introduced the meal-to-your-seat service). There are 20 naps cubbies you have almost no chance to get and those damn uncomfortable wave seats...
This is easily the most over-rated lounge in the world. The food is simply bad. If this is good food to you, then I at once pity and perhaps envy your tastebuds. Any of the premier oneworld lounges is better (NRT, HND, JFK, MAD, HKG, HEL, and yes...even BA in LHR since they introduced the meal-to-your-seat service). There are 20 naps cubbies you have almost no chance to get and those damn uncomfortable wave seats that won't let you sleep unless your body has exactly the same dimensions as the planes. The most comfortable people are those fetal using two chairs and the big round tables.
Don't get me wrong, it's still scads better than the sorry excuse of a lounge oneworld elites get, but the step down from the treatment in the air to the treatment on the ground is remarkable. You'd think the ground would be the easy bit.
Have around 2 hrs arriving at 5 pm and leaving for HYD at 7 pm. Do you think If I stand any chance of getting a quick shower after a 16hr flight from IAH ?
You'd need to make a bee-line off your flight for the lounge showers. You may or may not get one!
You will need to go through a sluggish security check when transitting (no idea why!) which will eat up time too.
Also they expect you to get to your departurre gate 60 minutes before departure. It will be a rush for you.
Re sluggish security check, yes but make sure that you go through the dedicated Business and FC lines. They are extremely badly indicated (almost unfindable if you are not directed by an attendant, which they do or don't...) but they save a lot of time
The photos of the ginormous empty lounge frankly were a turnoff. Looked like the inside of a very high end airport concourse. I guess I want my lounge to look smaller and more intimate. YMMV
Thanks for the review. Going there for the first time soon. Is there a bar where You can sit and just have a drink?
@ Turnpike -- The upstairs bar used to have seating, but I think due to COVID-19 policies they removed those seats. So unfortunately there's no bar option at the moment.
Seats at the front of the 2nd floor bar have disappeared to display food items, but there are still bar stools on the backside of the bar.
Can you advise any trends on Qatar business class award space to/from the US? Is it usually up close or far out? I am looking end of the year and into early 2023 and seeing nothing from any destinations...
IME, far out is the best shot for this. Might have had a big run on award seats recently, as Qatar just adopted Avios as their awards currency at the same time that AMEX had a 40% transfer bonus to British Air's Avios.
Pre-COVID, Qatar used to run a "travel festival" sale early each year. At least once it included fantastic deals from North America to various destinations, and made paying cash for QR very affordable. Look to see if that sale returns post-COVID.
It's a nice lounge IF you can get a table at either of the restaurants, which I could not during peak time. There needs to be a more extensive buffet available for the general seating. I was able to scrounge a few randomly mixed tapas from the casual restaurant with a few very long walks back and forth to my seat. Couldn't for the life of me find any silverware or napkins without stealing from...
It's a nice lounge IF you can get a table at either of the restaurants, which I could not during peak time. There needs to be a more extensive buffet available for the general seating. I was able to scrounge a few randomly mixed tapas from the casual restaurant with a few very long walks back and forth to my seat. Couldn't for the life of me find any silverware or napkins without stealing from someone's table. I was only drinking sparkling water so at least that was self-serve, but I had to flag down an attendant to get ice. Very fussy and inconvenient experience.
Thanks for this review.
The one time I was there was a few years ago between 11p and 1a on a connection on the way to Johannesburg, and I couldn’t fathom the positive reviews. It was a zoo! Plus I was with my partner, who has dementia, so the crowds really didn’t help.
This clarifies a lot, and next visit I’ll aim to miss one of the busy times! (If possible)
Thanks again!
My favorite lounge, besides The Pier.
Sorry but I STRONGLY disagree... To put The Pier and Al Mourjan on an equal footing makes me want to share what you may be smoking... On the other hand, what will be left in the future of HK lounges remains to be seen.
I disagree strongly, but for other reasons. I think The Pier and The Wing are overrated